Oyster dredge



Feb. 17, H LEW|S 7 1,792,592

OYSTER DREDGE Filed June 1, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY H. LEWIS Feb.17, 1931,

OYSTER DREDGE Filed June 1,

1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [llilllllll Patented Feb.17, 1931 r r 1,792,592

UNITED STATES PATENTLOFFICE HENRY nLEwIs, or STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGNOR To THE n; JQ nnwrs OYSTER QOMPANY, or BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUTOYSTER DREDGE,

Application filed June 1 1929. Serial No. 367,663."

This invention relates, to oyster dre'dges, lower side rails2 and braces3, 4:, 5, and 6. and particularly to improved means for sup These railsand the center bar 7,V Figure 1, porting the oyster holding receptacleorbag terminate in a head formed by the neck porand discharging itscontents. consists of tion 8 of the dredge. The oyster rake con 5 a bagholding attachment and its operating sists of the bar Sand teeth 10, andis secured 55 mechanismponnectedto the dredge and-in to the inner endsof the lower side rails 2 working relationwith the rake, whereby the bymeans of the bolts 10. oysters are received and discharged at differ 11is a drum supporting shaft journaled in ent points of the bag, and underthe control the inner ends 1 of the upper side rails 1,

10 of asingle operator. There bags have but and also in the inner end ofthe center bar 7 60 I a single mouth both for receiving and dis-fQThisshaft is rotated by means of the drum charging their contentsfthe dredgemust be 12 about which is wound and to which is manually tilted todischarge, thus requiring. anchored the inner end of the main wire theservice of several hands, .51 V I H cable 13. The outer end of thiscable passes 7 15 In describing the invention in detail, reffreelythrough the upturned end 8 6f the 65 erence will be had to theaccompanying draw- N neck of the dredge and is connected with any ingswherein like characters ,of reference deoutside conventional majorwinding drum. note corresponding parts in thesevera'l views The stop 14is so located on the cable that it i hi h i d will be brought againstthe upturned end 8 Y Figure 1 represents'an upper plan View of t of theneck in closing the flexible bag A. The 70 the dredge and broken view ofa part of; the V ofiice of this stop is to take the pulling strainbottom portion of the bag. y 1 y in hauling the dredge. The spring 14 isin- Figure 2 is a broken view of thebottom of terposed in the cable sothat only enough the dredge looking in the direction of arrow strain isapplied to the cable to close the bag a of Figure 4:. o v and preventundue strain on-the bag operat- 7 Figure 3 is asideview of the dredgereping mechanism. r I resented inoperative position With the bag Theauxiliary side drums 1515, on shaft closed. V a 11, carry the wirecables16, 17, anchored Figure his a view of the dredge Vertically thereto andwhich extend therefrom over the suspendedwith thebag opened to dischargepulleys 18,19; rotatably mounted on the rod 80 its contents; y I p 20.The outer .ends of these cables are finally Figure 5' is a reduceddiagrammatic view, anchored to the fixed collars 2'1, 22, on the rodlooking in, the, direction} of arrow 6 of Fig-. 2-3. 24;. 25, are endsupporting bars whose inure lfof the oyster rake; and sectional view nerends are freely mounted on the shaft 11 a of the lower rail of the frameon line w+w and whose outer ends carry the oulley rod '85 of Figure 1,and also a view of the drum 20. The lateral arms 26, 27, form a part ofshaft. 7 a f 1 V the skeleton frame of the dredge and take the Figure 6is a broken plan view of the skeleplace of the conventional bow shapedends of ton frame ofthe dredge and itsrake, also a the ordinary dredge.The inner ends of these 40 modified construction of means for control:arms are anchored to the rake bythe bolts 10*, 90 ling the bag operatingmechanism. J and their outer ends are freely mounted on Figure 7represents outside windingdrums the shaft 11, and serveitosupport saidshaft, and broken cables, and a as seen more clearly in Figure 5.

v Figure 8 is a broken viewof the skeleton 28, 29, are bag controllevers whose outer frameof the dredge and the connecting means endscarry. the rod 23,= and whoseinner slot- 9: between the neck of thedredge and thewindted ends have a sliding contac trwith the shaft 5 d yp p k 11. 30, 31', are'links journaled on the rod 20 Y The principalparts ofthe skeleton 'frame an'd the studs: 32, 33, offlthe leverswhereby work of 'the'dredge areof the conventional said levers aremaintained in workable rela- 59 typ comprising the uppenside'rails 1,the ftionwith respect to the shaft H and the rods 10o 20 and 28. 34,Figure 1, are simply interposed washers adapted to bring the inner facesof the links 30, 31, in aligni'ncnt with the levers 28 and 29. 35,Figures 2, 3, 4, and 6, are brackets suspended from and near the ends ofthe rake bar as supports for the rod 36. Both brackets and rod form apart of the conventional dredge frame. i

The oyster receptacle or ba A, seen more clearly in Figures 2, 3, and 4,is composed of the conventional chain links 37 forming the ends andbottom of the bag behind the rake. These bag links are convenientlyattachedto rods 23, 36, and arms 26, 27, and also to rods. one of which,38 is mounted in the bracket 39, liignre :2, secured to the inner faceof each of the levers 29, but to avoid confusion it is only shown on thelever 29. seen more clearly in Figure 2. -iny other suitable means forconnecting the bag to said levers could readily be devised.

The bag has the conventional and always open mouth adjacent the rake toreceive the oysters gathered by the rake. In Figure this open mouth isrepresented by B, hounded by the arms 26, 27, shaft 11, and the rake.()pposite this open mouth, I have provided a mouth through which thecontents of the bag is discharged, a detail description of which willlater appear. The wire net work 40, Figure 1, serves as a cover toprevent an untimely discharge of the bag when closed. 41

are bars located between the drum shaft 11.

and the pulley rod and to which this net work is attached well as to theend supporting bars 24, 25. V

42 is a bracket adjustably connected to the neck of the dredge carryingthe trailing roller 43 by means of which the neck of the dredge can beraised or lowered from the ground to change the cant or angle of therake.

44 are braces secured to the supporting bars 24, 25, Figure 1, and alsoto the pulley rod20 to give additional rigidity to said bars.

45, Figure 7, is a major winding drum rotatably mounted on the rod 46and about which is wound the bag o )erating and dredge hauling cable 13.The drum 47 is also mounted on said rod to receive the cable 48 whoseouter end is attached to the hook ,49 and the latter to the link 50swiveled to the neck of the dredge. Each of these drums has anindependent rotation on the rod 4.6 and may each be provided withtripping mechanism, not shown, to temporarily hold them against reverserotation. These drums, and the means for rotating them to wind thecables. as well as other mechanismlfor operating them, are old and wellknown and form no essential part of the present invention, are simplyshown asj one of, h einany" i d that could be. employed fore-the. abov01e,,

scribed purposerf I The modified construction Figure 6, f o r controllshown a the ts.

comprising a frame,

ment thereon, 4P

mechanism, consists of the two cables 51, 52, whose inner ends areattached to the lower end of the spring 14. These cables are thenconducted through the guide links 53, 54, pivotally supported in theupper rails 1 of the dredge, and from thence are anchored to the rod 23,in the same manner as the independent cables 16, 17, shown in Figure 1.

This arrangement dispenses entirely with the drums 12, 15, and 15 andconverts the shaft 11. into simply therod 11, Figure 6. The principalpurpose of either shaft or rod is to provide means for supporting theseveral ha operating elements connected therewith.

The bag is closed and the dredge dragged along the bottom and hoistedaboard. and suspended. by means of the main cable \Vhen inthis suspendedposition, the weight of the dredge is shifted from the cable 13 to thecable 48, Figures 7 and 8. This shift- 111g of the weight will permitthe cable 13 to be slackcned so that the accummulated,

- weight of the bags contents will force down-v ward the slotted levers28, 29, while/the links 1 30, 31, will assist, .in conjunction withpivotally supporting bars 24, 25 in forcing said levers back farenouglrto practically straighten the underside or bottom of the bag,Figure 4, and'thereby automatically efl'ect a free deliveryof itscontents through the open discharge mouth C.

This lengthwise and swingingmovement of the levers 28, 29, is anessential feature both in hauling and discharging, for when the bag isclosed in hauling, it must necessarily assume a cup-like shape, Figure3, to retain the oysters, and when released, is properly shapedto effecta free discharge.

Were the levers simply swung from a pivot and without lengthwisemovement, the bag:

would practically retain its cup-likeshape and more or less of theoysters wouldrc-.

main in the bag.

Several minor changes respecting the construction and arrangement of theoperative elements of the dredge could be made without departing fromthe essential object and purpose, of the invention, which relatesprincipallytothe bag construction whereby the oystersare received at oneend of the bag, and automaticallydischarged by gravity at the other end.

Having thus described; ,my, invention. what- I claimis 1. A dredgeof thecharacter desc1'ibed,

, a rake carried by: the frame,

e ds-stills! tenderer.

Bataan] no a fie ziblebag havingan open receiving end supported on theframe adjacent the frake, shaft ,journaled in;- the, framdia ldredge hauling; cable ,associated, .witl1" the;

neunted:.;o the .fshaft I for the bag, and auxiliary cables connectingthe shaft and rod. to close the bag through the medium of the dredgehauling cable.

2. A dredge according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that a stopis carried by hauling cable to engage a part of the frame to take thepulling strain in hauling the dredge, and a spring associated withsaidcable to prevent undue strain on the bag operating mechanism inclosing the discharge opening of the bag. V

8. In combination with a dredge frame and rake, a shaft journaled in theframe, a dredge hauling cable connected with the shaft, opposed leversmounted on the shaft and having a lengthwise and swinging movementthereon, a rod connecting the outer ends ofthe levers, a flexiblebaghaving a normal open receiving end supported on the frame, and adischarge end engaging the levers and their connecting'rod a. A dredgeaccording to claim 3, characterized by the fact that bars are pivotallysupported on the shaft and pivotally' connected to the levers, a rodconnecting the bars, auxiliary cables connecting the shaft with thelever mechanism, and pulleys on' the rod for said cables.

5. In combination with a dredge frame, rake, and a dredge hauling cable,pivotally supported levers having a lengthwise swinging movement, cablesfor effecting said movement through the medium of the dredgehaulingcable, a flexible bag having a normally open receiving endconnected to the frame and adjacent to the rake, and a discharging endconnected tosaid movable levers.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HENRY L. LEWIS.

